Enlarging and reducing camera



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mm esfc'ampbe 17 T TOR/V5) May 22, 194 5. J. T. CAMPBELL ENLARGING AND REDUCING CAMERA Filed Sept. 24, 1942 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTOR. j'ameszz'am o e// May 22, 1945. J. T. CAMPBELL ENLARGING AND REDUCING CAMERA 1942 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Patented May 22, 1945 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ENLARGING AND REDUCING CAMERA James T. Campbell, Detroit, Mich.

Application September 24, 1942, Serial No. 459,891

Claim.

This invention relates to a camera and more particularly to a camera embodying a longitudinally adjustable lens holder section and copy board section, suspended and supported'by a suitable reinforced frame, and by oppositely disposed end supporting members.

It is the object of this invention to provide in such a camera, manually operable adjusting means adjacent said sections for respectively governing accurately the longitudinal positioning or iocusing of said lens section and said copy hoard section.

It is the object of this invention to provide operating means forming a part of said adjusting means for definitely setting both of said frames in any predetermined position.

It is the object oi this invention to also provide remote manually operable control means for respectively regulating the longitudinal adjustments or focusing of said lens and copy hoard sections.

it is a further object of this invention to provide manually operable, controls for vertical and horizontal adjustment of the lens holder within and with respect to the lens holder section.

it is a further objectoi this invention to provide within said copy board section glass blanket contact printing frames. which are also adopted for use supporting a picture sought to he photographed.

it is a further object of this invention to pro vide remote manually operable means for troi versely adjusting said frames within said copy hoard section.

It is a further object herein to provide therewith a source of vacuum to the space between said glass and blanket frames whereby the picture placed therein to be photographed may be given a thorough contact throughout its surface with the surface of the glass frames.

It is a still further object herein to provide means for making positive prints from negative prints by employing the above glass and blanket frames.

It is a still further object herein to provide a plate or film holder section within one of the camera supports, with means therein for sup porting photographic screens, and manually operable means for raising and lowering said screen supports within said plate holder section.

It is a still further object of this invention to provide a film or plate holder within said section pivotally mounted therein, together with suitable vacuum or other means forsecuring a film or sensitized plate to said plate holder.

It is a still iurther object herein to provide a manually operable means for regulating the screen separation or distance between said plate and the photographic screen, together with means for accurately measuring said distance.

It is a still further object of this invention to provide an adjustable valve for governing the extent of vacuum to which the surface of said plate holder may be subjected.

These and other objects will be seen in the invention hereinafter described which relates to the various elements and their combinations as illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a side clevatlonal view oi the camera.

Fig. 2 is a section on line 2-42 of Fig. i.

Fig. 3 is a section on line 3-4 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 3A is on enlarged fragmentary end sectional view oi the blanket and glass frames.

Fig. 4 is a section on line t-t oi Fig. i.

Fig. 5 is an end elevational view of the camera.

Fig. 5A is a irasincntary front sectional view oi the screen holder support.

Fig. 5th is a front elevational view oi the ne film holder.

Fig. c is c. section on line 6-8 of Fly. 5.

' Fig. 7 is c section on F -l of Fig. 6.

Fig. t is o. partially sectioned view through the center of the manual section adjusting or focus ins means; and

Fig. 9 is section on line c-o of his. 2.

it will he understood that the above drawings illustrate erely a preferable embodiment of the present invention, and that other embodiments are also intended within the scope oi the claims hereinafter set out.

Referring to the draws, in Fig. i the camera consists of the hollow upright frames M and it upon which are secured tracks it and it for supporting the camera lens section it and copy section it in the manner more fully set out herematter. A reinforcing inverted V-shaped memher it is holted to tracks i3 and M at points it and it for maintaining rigidity of the camera and eliminating any possible sway thereof.

Extensible bellows B8 are interposed between the upright member it and section it provig light communication between the camera lens to and the film holder section generally indicated at it. Said bellows are further intermediately supported by the longitudinally movable centrally supported members I0.

Copy board section It is adapted to hold th picture or subject matter which may be sought to be photographed. Consequently it is seen for obtaining various sizes of photographs from various sizes of subject matter or for reducing or enlarging the same, that both frames I5 and I6 must be longitudinally adjusted or focused with respect to each other and with respect to the film holder section 2|.

These various distances may be predetermined so that for any given reproduction requirements. sections I5 and I6 may be manually adjusted accurately, and this by means of suitable indicating means 22 and 23 hereinafter more fully described.

Referring to Fig. 9, section I6 is joined to carriage 24, which is slidably mounted upon tracks I3 and I4 by means of roller bearing members 25 and 26 which respectively engage and roll thereon.

Brackets 21 and 28 forming a part of carriage 24 provide a journal for rollers 25 and 26, and also for the cooperating rollers 29 and 30 which are adapted to engage the under surfaces of tracks I3 and I4 respectively for maintaining sai carriage firmly thereon. 1

Additional guiding rollers 3| and 32 are also journaled by said carriage for cooperatively enaging the opposite edges of said tracks thereby definitely maintaining the direction of reciprocable movement of said carriage.

In a similar manner carriage 33 joined to section I5 is adapted for reciprocable adjustment upon tracks I3 and I4 by suitable rollers 34. The rollers for track I4 are not shown; however the construction is substantially similar to the carriage shown in section in Fig. 9.

It will be noted however, that single rollers 35 are also journaled below carriage 33 for engaging the under side of the tracks I3 and I4, while carriage 24 utilizes two pair of such rollers. In any event the carriages 24 and 33 provide a sliding support for the lens section I5 and the copy holder section I6, permitting any desired longitudinal adjustment thereof between the upright camera supporting members II and I2.

Both carriages have joined thereto the similar manually actuating focusing mechanisms 36 for turning the spur gears 31 which are at all times in engagement with the rack 38 which is longitudinally disposed upon the outside of track I3. This structure is shown in detail in Fig. 8, and generally in Fig. 1.

In Fig. 8 the actuating means 36 directly turns the shaft 39 on the end of which is the spur gear 31. Shaft 33 has a bushing 40 keyed thereon adapted to revolve within the opening 4| of housing 42. The opposite side of housing 42 adjacent said bushing has a collar 43 thereon which is vertically slit at 44 and adapted to be compressed to frictionally engage said bushing whenever it is desired to lock the focusing mechanism. The manually operable shaft 45 is rotatably secured to one side of said collar and threadedly joined to the other so that handle 36 may be locked in any adjusted position.

Housing 42 carried by carriages 24 and 33 respectively has a mounting bracket 46 thereon which is pivotally joined thereto at point 41 by suitable dowel pins, as shown in Figs. 1 and 8. As shown in Fig. 1 the extending base portion of carriage 24 has a pair of outwardly extending ears 24' in spaced relation with a central transverse opening therethrough for retaining a suitable pivot pin for pivotally journalling at 41 bracket member 46 which is provisioned between said ears. Opening 48 has a coil spring seated therein and engaging said carriages for resiliently maintaining gear 31 in cooperative engagement with the rack gear 33; and a suitable tension screw 43 is provided for regulating the tension of said spring.

A stop screw 50 is also provided which is intended to prevent gear 31 from disengaging the rack gear 38.

The hollow cover member 5I secured to the top of housing 42 centrally supports the oil seal 52 and the bearing members 53; and also forms a ggar housing for beveled gear 54 keyed to shaft 3 Housing 42 also has a shaft 55 rotatably Journaled therein with a beveled gear 56 on one end in cooperative engagement with beveled gear 54'.

Cylindrical housing 51 forms a part of housing 42 and is adapted to house the rotatable drum 58 which is secured to the rotatable shaft 55. A cover member 59 is provided for housing 51 and a support for the gear 60 for shaft 55. A suitable bearing 6| is also provided for the other end thereof and also an oil seal 62.

Drum 58 has a scale 63 thereon divided into a hundred divisions, each graduation measuring (.006") six thousandths of an inch movement of either carriage 24 or 33. Said drum makes four revolutions for every one revolution of wheel 36. Visual access to said scale is obtained through opening 64 in housing 51.

A bracket 65 forming a part of cover 59 supports a mechanism 66 for counting the revolutions of the drum 58 through the window 61. Spindle B8 of said counter is operably connected to shaft 55.

The portion of the camera between the supports II and I2 is outside of the dark room and the focusing mechanism 22 and 23 therefore must be operated outside said room. However additional focusing mechanisms are also provided on the outside of support II in the dark room adapted to regulate longitudinal movement of the carriages 24 and 33, as best seen in Figs. 2 and 5.

Hand wheel 69 on the outside of support II turns a shaft on which is secured a sprocket gear III. A sprocket chain 'IImeshes with said gear and extends longitudinally adjacent member I6 and is secured to the upwardly extending bracket I2 of carriage 24 as best seen in Fig. 9. Fig. 2 shows a cable I3 joined on the other side of said bracket and extending as far as the camera support I2 where it is returned around a suitable pulley I4 and extends back longitudinally until it meets and is secured to the other end of the sprocket chain II. Thus on manipulation of wheel 63 carriage 24 may be reciprocated longitudinally from within the dark room.

In a similar manner hand wheel I5 on the outside of support II turns a shaft on which is secured a sprocket gear I6. A sprocket chain 'I'I meshes with said gear and extends longitudinally parallel to the sprocket chain II and is joined to bracket I2 of carriage 33 in the same manner as the sprocket chain II is joined to carriage 24. A cable 18 extends from the other side thereof and is supported by the pulley I3 whence it is returned to the other end of sprocket chain I1.

Thus it is seen. that manipulation of hand wheel I5 will govern longitudinal movement carriage 33 and the lens frame depending therefrom.

Housings 80 for the shafts rotated by hand wheels 69 and 15, have split portions therein where by means of handles 82 and shafts 33 threaded into one side of said split portions respectively said hand wheels may be locked in any selected position, for locking sections II and It in position.

Lens 20 is secured to a lens plate It which is adapted for vertical and horizontal adjustment. Vertical adjustment is accomplished through the hand wheel 85 which turns a shaft on which is a bevel pinion gear 86 in mesh with a similar gear 81 on the end of a rotatable square shaft 88. A hollow square shaft 89 is slidably mounted thereon to turn therewith, and with a pinion gear 00 on its outer end in mesh with a similar gear OI for turning the vertical shaft 83 disposed within the lens frame Ill.

The lower end of shaft 92 threadedly engages a suitable slide member for vertical adjustment thereof, upon which the lens plate 84 is also mounted for horizontal adjustment thereon. While the slide is thus adapted for vertical adjustment through hand wheel 85, it is intended that the lens plate itself be adapted for horizontal adjustment on said slide.

This is accomplished through the rack gear 83 on lens plate 84 which is engaged by the rotatable spur gear 94 on the end of the vertical shaft 95 also disposed within the lens section IS. The upper end of said shaft has abevel gear 96 thereon in mesh with a similar bevel gear 91 on the end of a hollow rotatable square shaft 98. Thelatter shaft is slidably mounted upon the rotatable square shaft 99 which is itself actuated by the hand wheel I00 and the two intermediate intermeshing gears Ifll and I02. Thus by manual operation of hand wheels 85 and Hill vertical as well as horizontal adjustment of the lens plate 88 can be obtained.

The plate section 2| forming a part of the camera support ll, is seen in Figs. 1, 5, 6 and 7. andhas therein a vertically adjustable screen holder Hill for supporting any desired screen when required to obtain a predetermined number .i

of dots per square inch upon the picture which is sought to be printed. Certain types 'of photographs such as line work do not require the use of a screen, and in that event the screen may beiowered.

Raising and lowering of said screen support is accomplished by means of a manually rotated shaft lllfl projecting in front of the film holder section 2i and having on its end a worm illd which meshes with a cooperating worm gear idii on the end of a rotatable shaft Iili which lies in a plane parallel to the plane of the screen' holder Hi3 best seen in Fig. 7.

Spur gears Hi8 are keyed on said shaft in spaced relation forcooperative engagement with the two vertically disposed rack gears I09 which are secured to the back surfaces of the screen frame. Thus by actuating handle ills screen frame 903 may be raised and lowered.

Under normal conditions with the screen being used in elevated position, said screen support may be adjusted horizontally with respect to the film plate or support hereinafter described in detail. The distance between the screen and this plate is called the screen separation which is normally ll measured in thousandths of an inch. This distance is often varied depending upon the particular reproduction conditions desired, and also upon the screen ruling or number of lines per inch. And to this end the screen supporting frame is mounted within longitudinally adjustable supports IIIl having upon their bottom surfaces the rack gears III which are enmeshed with suitable spur gears I I2 on the rotatable shaft Ill.

Shaft II! transversely iournsled and disposed in a plane parallel to the shaft II! is rotatably actuated by the lever Ill on the end thereof.

'Reciprocable movement of said lever thereto causes reciprocable movement of the screen frame supports thus regulating the screen separation heretofore explained.

It will be noted that the screen support It! normally rests upon the horizontal seat members III which maintain said frames in a fixed vertical position. 80 disposed it is seen that rack gears I09 are out of engagement with their operating gears I08 as best seen in Fig. 7.

Before frame I03 can be lowered the lever Ill must be raised thus causing a horizontal translation of the frame supports I I0. As the rack gears I09 are thus moved into cooperating relation with their gears I08, it will be seen that the frame I03 has cleared the rest members II! and is now free to be lowered; and not before this clearance is obtained can this operation be accomplished. Fig. 6 shows the guide members IIB for the screen frame I03.

Frame supports III), as in Fig. 5A, move longitudinally upon the housing members I III while gib members Ilii" supported by said housing are nested within slots I03 in said supports for guiding said movement. A wear plate not is also supported by housing III! adapted to engage the edge of the support I II) with a suitable coiled take up spring 805' interposed-between said support and said housing. In this manner any wear is immediately taken up thereby maintaining the proper. positioning of said supports HI] and the screen members Hit.

A dial indicator ill is secured to the side of upright supporting member ii and is adapted for accurately measuring the screen separation in thousandths of an inch. An adaptor is also used for measuring distances greater than one inch. A suitable stop H8 is also provided which can be manually set after the screen separation is once fixed for a given job. In this way if the frame support III e is manually adjusted to permit lowering of the frames, said supports can be moved back to their original position corresponding to the position of the pre-set stop.

A plate holder lid pivotaily mounted on a rotatable shaft 1128 at its lower edge is adapted to tilt open approximately 90 degrees in order to permit the proper placing thereon of a suitable plate or other sensitized surface. 7

A suitable spring counter balance, not shown in the drawings, is employed for resiliently maintaining said plate holder tightly closed against suitable stops when in photographing position. The plate holder may have removably secured thereto any of several types of film holding or plate holding devices. For instance, a stay fiat may be employed when the film is stuck directly to the plate holder by a suitable fluid.

On the other hand a vacuum film holder may be attached to the pivotal plate holder M9, as shown in Fig. 53, consisting of hollow rectangular frame member 080 with a. plurality of rectangular concentric vacuum compartments use, I82, 983' and ldl. Each compartment has on the opposite side of member I 80 a plurality of rectanguiarly arranged air openings I85.

The hollow cylindrical member I88 is suitably secured on the outside of frame iBD, with a pinrality of air inlet openings I8I', E82. I83 and IN respectively communicating with each of the compartments IBI, I82, I83 and I84.

An outlet opening I81 is provisioned within cylinder I86 to which is Joined a flexible conduit I88, which is itself in communication with a suitable vacuum source such as a vacuum pump within the base portion I2I of the camera support within cylinder I88 and adapted on movement thereof to progressively provide vacuum communication to each of the openings I82, I83,

and I84 respectively, opening I8I being at all times in communication with the vacuum source.

A shaft I80 is joined to plunger I88 with a handle III pivotally mounted on the end thereof for manually adjusting the position of said plunger within the vacuum cylinder I86. A notched scale I92 extends parallel to shaft I90, and handle I8I is adapted to be pivoted into any desired notch therein for locking the valve adjustment in any position.

The film employed is placed upon the opposite side of frame I80 when the latter is tilted into horizontal position upon the tiltable plate holder I I3. The vacuum source available to the selected compartments I8I, I82, I83 or I84, communicates with the under surface of the film employed through the openings I85 thereby holding said film firmly against the frame I80; or in other words permitting atmospheric pressure on the other side of said film to do the work.

Valve I88 is then adjusted according to the size of the fllm employed. For a larger film the plunger I89 is moved to the extreme right. In this position vacuum is available in all of the compartments I8l, I82, I83 and I84.

The longitudinally adjustable carriage 24 has depending therefrom the copy frame I6 secured thereto by bolts I22, best seen in Fig. 9. Said frame is substantially rectangular and hollow, being adapted to receive the printing frames, hereinafter described, when in tilted position as shown in Fig. 3.

A supporting frame member I23 is pivotally joumaled near its lower end to the copy section I6 at points I24, and is adapted to assume the tilted position shown in Fig. 3, supported by the 'rests I 25 secured to the rear surface of the copy section I6.

A blanket frame I26 is slidably suspended from the top of the supporting frame I23 by pulleys I21 rotatably journaled from the side of the blanket frame, and adapted to ride in or cooperate with the inverted V channel I28 disposed on said supporting frame I23. Said frame I26 has positioned therein a yielding resilient blanket I23 or mat being of any suitable material such as rubber.

A glass frame I30 with operating handles I3I at its lower edge, is pivotally joined along its top edge at I32 to the top edge of the blanket frame I26, and is adapted to assume the relative position shown by the ever suitable stops are adjustably secured within blanket frame I26 so that the glass frame when closed is always in an exact vertical position. It will be noted also that clamps I3I' are secured to the bottom of blanket frame I26 for manual attachment to the bottom edge of glass frame I 30.

A toggle linkage is interposed between frames I28 and I30 consisting of a lever I33 pivoted to the glass frame at I34 and to the cantilever I35 at point I36. Said cantilever is centrally pivoted at I31 to the blanket frame I 26, with its other end pivoted to the link I38 at point I33.

dotted lines in Fig. 3. How-i The toggle arrangement is completed by the 15 The upper glass frame I30 is then closed tightly by means of the above described toggle arrangement and suitable clamps I 3i.

The two frames I26 and I30 are then pivoted into vertical position so that the picture is in line with the lens 20' of the camera.

Suitable illuminating means I45 are provided pivotally suspended at I46 to the supporting bracket I41 which is itself pivoted to the carriage 24 at points I48, best seen in Fig. 9. Though not shown in the drawings it may be desired to use two sources of illumination; and in that case the second source would be pivotally mounted to the other bracket I41 fragmentarily shown in Fig. 9. In taking the photograph the illuminating means may be pivoted around into any desired position for directing light upon the picture.

Referring to Figs. 1 and 3 the two frames I26 and I30 are slidably supported by the pulleys I21 as above described, and the bottom edge of the blanket frame I26 has ball bearing members I48 interposed between said frames and a transverse V groove I50 in the supporting frame I23.

By this construction it is seen that frames I26 and I30 when together in vertical position only, may be laterally adjusted or translated with respect to the copy section I6. Lateral adjustment of said frames may also be accomplished manually remote therefrom, on the outside of the camera supporting member II.

A hand wheel I 5I is provisioned on the end of a rotatable shaft I52 journaled at I53 in reinforcing frame I6 and extending longitudinally throughout the entire length of the camera and suitably journaled at I 54 in the other end of said frame I6.

A bracket I55 bolted to carriage 24 at points I56 extends outwardly providing a forked or bifurcated portion I51 within which is journaled the beveled gear I58 and its hollow shaft I59 which is slidably journaled on the rotatable shaft I62 along a splined portion thereof I60.

Hollow shaft I 59 has the two annular shoulders I6I between which is disposed the forked member I51, whereby it is seen that any longitudinal adjustment of the carriage 24 causes a correspond ing movement of the beveledgear I58 upon the shaft I 52.

Beveled gear I62 on the downwardly depending shaft I63 meshes with beveled gear I58. A spur gear I64 slidably disposed near the lower end of the shaft I63 is adapted to operatively engage the rack gear I65 secured upon the back surface of the blanket frame I 26 at the top thereof. Thus on actuating hand wheel I5I it is seen that blanket frame I26 and the glass frame I30 may be laterally adjusted with respect to the copy section I 6.

However it will be noted that spur gear I64 must be manually elevated in order to permit tilting of the frames I 26 and I30. To this end a coiled spring I66 is secured on shaft I63 to normally maintain a slidable spur gear I64 in operative engagement with the rack gear I86.

Cantilever I61 pivotally mounted at I" to the copy section I6, has a forked end I adapted to engage the shaft I63 for lifting the same when the opposite end of said cantilever is tilted in a clockwise direction.

This tilting is accomplished by a rotatable cam I mounted upon a suitable shaft for operative engagement with cantilever I61. Hand lever I38 is disposed upon the end of said cam shaft for rotating the same for lifting the spur gear I out of operative relation with respect to the rack gear I65.

It will be noted that frames I26 and I 30 may be used for making positive prints from negatives. To this end the resilient blanket I29 in the blanket frame I26 is removable.

Referring to Fig. 3A a glass plate I12 is supported in the blanket frame I26 within its own frame I13, which is resiliently maintained against the rear surface of the glass I30 by coiled springs I14. A negative I12 is interposed between the glass plate I12 and the glass I30 and resiliently held there by said springs I14.

A light diffusing glass plate I is secured to the hollow light conducting member I15 on the back of the frame H3. The illuminating means I45 in this case is pivoted around so that light is directed toward said diffusing plate for a predetermined period of time. In this way a positive may be photographed directly from a negative.

Having described my invention. reference should now be had to the claims which follow for determining the scope thereof.

I claim:

1. A camera comprised of upright supporting means in spaced relation, a longitudinally disposed track on said means, carriages slidably supported upon said track, a lens carrying section joined to and depending from a carriage, a bellows between said section and one of said means, a copy section joined to and depending from another carriage in spaced relation to said lens section, a rack gear longitudinally disposed on said track, manually operable focusing means pivotally supported by each of said carriages with operating means adapted to engage said rack, and

resilient means interposed between said focusing means and said carriages for maintaining said operating means in engagement with said rack.

2. In a camera, upright supporting means in spaced relation, a longitudinally disposed track on said means, carriages slidably supported ,upon

said track, a lens carrying section depending from a. carriage, a plate holder mounted on one of said supporting means, a copy section depending from another carriage in spaced relation to said lens section, a photographic screen frame in spaced manually rotatable spur gear adapted to engage said latter rack gear for raising or lowering said screen frame relative to said plate holder.

3. In a camera, upright supporting means in spaced relation, a longitudinally disposed track on said means, carriages slidably supported upon said track, a lens carrying section depending from a carriage, a copy section depending from another carriage in spaced relation to said lens section, a vertically disposed supporting frame pivotally mounted upon said copy section and adapted to be pivoted into horizontal position, a horizontal channel member supported by said frame, a.

blanket frame in spaced relation to said channel member, annularly grooved rollers rotatably carried by said blanket frame and extending therefrom rotatably mounted upon said channel member, adapted to lateral transverse adjustments thereon, and a cooperating glass frame pivotally mounted at the top of said blanket frame adapted to tilting opening movement with respect thereto.

4. In a camera, upright supporting means in spaced relation, a longitudinally disposed track on said means, carriages slidably supported upon said track, a. lens carrying section depending from a carriage, a plate holder mounted on one of said supporting means, a copy section depending from another carriage in spaced relation to said lens section, a photographic screen frame in spaced relation to said film holder, a rack gear on the bottom of said screen frame, a manually rotatable spur gear engagable therewith for varying the amount of said latter spaced relation, a rack gear on a longitudinal edge of said screen frame, a manually rotatable spur gear adapted to engage said latter rack gear for raising or lowering said screen frame relative to said plate holder, and supporting means preventing lowering of said screen frameuntil said manually operable means provides a predetermined spaced relation between said frame and film holder.

5. The combination, a pivotal film holder, means for conducting vacuum to the surface of said film holder for securely holding a film thereon, said film holder having a, plurality of concentric compartments in communication with the film side of said holder, a vacuum control cylinder on the outside of said holder in communication with said conduit, and a. manually slidable plunger within said cylinder, adapted to progressively establish vacuum communication to one or more of said compartments.

JAMES TL CAMPBELL. 

